Entertainment, Media, and Intellectual Property

Mr. Codell has handled a wide variety of legal matters for major clients in the television, motion picture, recording, and advertising industries. The matters he has handled have concerned the First Amendment, copyright law, antipiracy and internet issues, idea origination, defamation allegations, right of publicity, talent contracts, profit participation, allegations of employment discrimination, and insurance issues. He has represented major television and motion picture studios, broadcast and cable networks, production companies, recording companies, advertising companies, and individual producers, writers, and actors. The matters he has handled have included the following:

Representation of major television studios in numerous disputes and lawsuits regarding profit participation and talent contracts.

Successful representation of a major television network, a television studio, and individual writers and producers in a lawsuit alleging misappropriation of ideas, defamation, and fraud in connection with the creation of a hit television series.

Successful apSuccessful appellate defense of a major television network and a television station against claims of “reverse discrimination” by a former news anchor for the station. See Hicks v. KNTV Television, Inc., 160 Cal.App.4th 994 (2008).